Eyeglasses.



C. A. HOFFMAN.

EYEGLASSES.

APPLlcATmN FILED MAR. 16. 191e.

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CHARLES A. HOFFMAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA..

EYEGLASSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Application led March 16, 1916. Serial No. 84,536.

To all 'Lv/wm t 'may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES A. Horr- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of vi'innesota, have invented cer` tain new and useful Improvements in Eyeglasses, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to eye-glasses and has for its object to provide a rigid and effective mounting for securing the lens within the lens strap, which mounting per mits the hinge joint for the nose guard to be placed directly on the lens strap. In carrying out my objects I provide asoft metal washer or plate having projections fitting into corresponding depressions on the edge of the lens, which plate is cemented thereto. The lens and this plate are clamped in between the members of the lens strap and held in place by a set-screw in one of said members acting against said soft metal plate.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in one form,

Figure 1 is a rear view of a pair of my improved eye-glasses drawn to a large scale. Fig. 2 is a plan edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of a portion of a lens and its mounting showing my invention in one form. Fig. et is a view similar to Fig. 3 with a portion of the lens strap removed. Fig.` 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 8. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of my invention. Fig. 'T is a sectional view taken on line 7? of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a front view of a. portion of a lens showing another method of grooving the same. F ig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of still another form of the invention. Fig. 10 is a front view of a portion of the lens used with the mounting indicated in Fig. Qshowing the manner of grooving the same.

1n mounting lenses of eye-glasses itV is the usual practice to drill holes through the lens and secure the same to the lens strap by means of a screw which passes directly through said hole. Such holes weaken the lens and often cause the lens to break while drilling as well as after the lens has been mounted, due to unequal expansion and contraction of the glass and metals and due to improper alinement of the holes in the lenses and the screws. ln my invention l secure the lens in place by a set-screw which acts against the lens on one side and so prevents this disadvantage.

As best shown in Figs. l and 2, my invention comprises a nose bridge 10 terminating' in a pair of lens straps 11 and 12. From rear members 13 of said lens straps issue lugs or ears 1i on which are pivoted nose guards l5 in the usual manner. Lenses 16 and 17 are mounted on the lens straps 11 and 12 and held in place from the opposite members 18 of said straps in a manner to be presently described. iVith this construction the distance between the lens strap is shortened, thus allowing larger lenses to be used and increasing the angle of vision.

The preferred form of lens mounting is clearly shown in Figs. 3, a and The members 13. and 18 of strap l1 project out from this strap parallel to each other and are curved on the outer surfaces to present a substantially smooth surface to the lens when it is in place. Lens 16, as noted in Figs. 1 and 5, is shown 'as convex and is provided with a cavity or depression 19 extending a short distance into the surface thereof. A washer or plate. 20 formed of some soft metal is provided with a projection 21 which fits into the cavity 19 in lens 16. This washer is so shaped that the outer surface of it and the rear surface of the lens are parallel. ln mounting the lens this washer is cemented in place upon the lens and the lens and washer inserted in between the members 13 and 18 of the lens strap. A set-screw Q2 screws into member 18 against the plate 2O and firmly clamps the lens in place, the lug E21 and cavity 19 preventing the plate from slipping off from the lens. A pair of lugs 23 project up from the plate Q0 along the sides of the member 18 and prevent said plate from moving when the screw 22 is brought to beai` upon it. It will be noted that the size and shape of plate 2O conforms to that of member 1.8 so that it is not visible from the exterior. Both the lens and plate may be cemented int-o` the lens strap and a rather' plastic cement may be used requiring less heat and time to set. With this construction the line of breakage of the lens is shifted from the locality ofthe cavity or hole to theouter edge of the plate or lens strap so that the strength of the lens at the mounting is greatly increased. It desired, a similar plate may be secured to the other side ot' the lens to make the mounting doubly secure. This, however, is not found to be necessary and also weakens the lenses somewhat.

The shape of the cavity in which the sott metal plate is partly embedded be ot any desired shape. in annular' groove Qel, as shown in Figs.k 6 and 7, may be employed with the same form ot lens strap to take the place of cavity i9. A concave lens 25 is here shown, the plate 26 being beveled in the opposite direction to plate 2O to give the same effect. Lugs 27 on plate 26 extending out in the plane thereof y may pass through corresponding holes in the back of the lens strap to serve the same purpose as lugs 23 in the preferred form of my invention. Fig. S shows still another manner of grooving the lenses. A. V- shaped groove 28 is easily cut in the lens by means had at hand by all Opticians and serves the same purpose Yas either the annular or cylindrical cavity.

This mode ot mounting` lenses may be equally well nsed with the ordinary form ot' lens strap employed in which a screw passes'through both of the members thereof. The screw is merely cut otf and used as a set-screw, as in either of the examples set forth. One such form is shown in Fig. 9 in which a strap 29 is used having two screws 30. l/ilith this type it becomes necessary, however, to form the grooves on the lens and conform to the shape ot the lens strap. A. pair ot' parallel grooves 3l, as shown in Fig. 10, would serve ,this purpose.

The advantages of my invention are manifest. Any thickness of lens may be properly mounted to completely iill the space in the lens strap by using a plate of excess thickness which can be easily iiled to lit, or said lens can be mounted with any size plate by use of a proper length of screw. The plates can be used with stock lenses which have holes drilled completely through them, said holes taking the place of the cavities or grooves mentioned.

I claim:

l. In combination with the lens and lens strap of an eye-glass, a plate on one side of said lens, means securing the plate and lens together, and clamping means cooperating with said lens strap and engaging said plate for holding the lens in place upon said lens strap members.

2. ln combination with the lens and lens strap of an eye-glass, a plate between said lens and one of the members ot' said lens strap, means for clamping said plate against" locking engagement with the strap, and

means for clamping the plate against the lens to hold said lens in place between the lens strap members.

5. The combination with the lens and lens strap ot an eye glass, of a plate interposed between the lens and one of thelmembers, said plate having an interlocking engagement with the lens and an ilfiterlockfmgl engagement with the lens strap, and means for clamping the plate against the lens to hold said lens in place between the lens strap members.

6. In `combination with the lens and lens strap of an eye-glass, a plate between said lens and one of said lens strap members, said lens having an `indentatioma projection on said plate fitting into said indentation for preventing the plate Vfrom slipping on the lens, and means for clamping said plate against the lens to hold said lens in place between said lens strap members.

7. ln combination with the lens andlens strap of an eye-glass, a plate between said lens and one of said lens strap members, said lens having a groove in the surface thereof, a ridgeon said plate'litting into'said groove for preventing the plate from slippingon the lens, and means for clamping said plate against the lens to hold said lens vin place between said lensstrap members.

8. In combination with the lens and lens strap of an eye-glass, al plate between said lens and one ot the members of said lens strap, means for clamping said plate against the' lens and holding the lens in place between said lens strap members, and a pair of lugs on said plate passing through said lens strap for holding the plate in position relative to the lens strap.

9. ln combination with the lens and lens strap of an eye-glass, a plate between said` lens and one of the members of said lens strap, means for clamping said plate against the lens and holding the lens in place be-v holding the plate imposition relative to the lens strap member.

l0. In combination with a lens having its sides angularly disposed, a lens strap formed with parallel membersfor receiving the lens, 130

a plate bet-Ween said lens and one of said of the members7 means for preventing relalens strap members having a tapered portire sliding movement between the plate tion and being so positioned as to substanand lens, and means for clamping the lens tially fill up tlie space between the lens and against the plate to secure the lens between l5 5 lens strap member, and means te clamp said the members.

plate and lens in place. In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature 1l. The combination with a lens strap in presence of two witnesses. having lens embracing members7 of a lens CHARLES A. HOFFMAN. located between said members, tlie portion Witnesses: 10 between the members beingimperforate, a H. A. BOWMAN,

plate interposed between the lens and one ALEX LAGAARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

